Kaufman & Kristoff, Nelson win 2016 Inky Awards

The winners of the 2016 Inky Awards, presented by the Centre for Youth Literature, were announced at the State Library of Victoria on 4 October.

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff won the Gold Inky Award, presented to an Australian book, for their YA novel Illuminae (A&U). They share a cash prize of $2000.

US author Jandy Nelson won the Silver Inky Award, presented to an international book, for I’ll Give You the Sun (Walker Books).

Readers aged between 12 and 20 voted online for the winners from shortlists chosen by a panel of teenage judges. To read our interview with this year’s judges, click here.

Kaufman and Kristoff said they were ‘incredibly honoured to win an award like this’. ‘It’s impossible to overstate the importance of awards like the Inkys that are for teens and by teens. We’re so proud to be representing Aussie YA and adding the first science-fiction title to an amazing list of past winners.’

Centre for Youth Literature program coordinator Adele Walsh said the Inky Awards, which are now in their 10th year, ‘encouraged teens to read for pleasure and share that passion with their peers’. ‘The Inky Awards are special in that they highlight the most important audience of young adult fiction—teens! Young adult readers are passionate, discerning and thoughtful and it is wonderful to see these qualities reflected in this year’s winners.’

The Inky Awards were founded by the State Library’s Centre for Youth Literature in 2007 to recognise local and international fiction, poetry, anthologies and graphic novels written for young adults.

For more information about the Inky Awards, visit the Inside a Dog website here.

Category: Awards Junior Local news